Cryptids of Madagascar
Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world, with most of the interior and the national parks nearly completely unexplored by Western eyes or outside cultures. This article is dedicated to presenting the facts as to what we know and have heard about unknown species from reports surfacing from the depths of the forests and canyons of Madagascar. The Vorompatra is the name given to a large bird reported from the southern reaches of the island. The bird is reputed to be flightless, but vicious if provoked. Its eggs and meat are said to be a staple of more secluded tribes that still hunt the creature in the area. The creature resembles a bird called Aepyornis ''thought to have gone extinct in the 17th century, but no proof of its extinction exists. The more common name for ''Aepyornis is the "elephant bird", due to its tremendous size. Bones left behind from the bird are surprisingly well-preserved, indicating they may have continued to exist into the present day. Another anomaly is the Kilopilopitsofy, which most people would pronounce wrong, as it is pronounced: "Kee-loo'-pee-loo'-peet-soo'-fee". Try saying that five times fast! The cryptid resembles a small, nocturnal hippopotamus that once did live on the island. Its bones are semi-fossilized, indicating a prolonged existence and a fuzzy line as to whether or not it actually became extinct. Due to the constant sightings about 30 miles inland along the coast near Belo-Sur-Mer, its extinction can be questioned further. The Kilopilopitsofy is one of the most well-known cryptids when referring to Madagascar, alongside reports of giant lemurs. However, very little information exists on this cryptid, as with most cryptids unfortunately. The semi-fossilized remains have been found across the country, primarily in the southern and western regions near isolated lake shores. The Fangalobolo is reported in the Ankarana Reserve in Northern Madagascar. It is said to be a large bat of immense size. Some say it can attain the size of a golden eagle. The Fangalobolo's behavior has been observed (albeit minutely), by the "Destination Truth" crew headed by Josh Gates. It acts as a guardian of the other, smaller species of bats; it flies into the crevices in the ceilings of caverns with the other bats and wraps its wings around them like a blanket. Perhaps this serves to keep them warm. Maybe it acts as their queen, like a colony of bees, but with a differing purpose. Perhaps the Fangalobolo serves as a deterrent to predators such as snakes and birds of prey, keeping them at a safe distance from the crowds of bats simply by intimidating them with its huge size. Without further empirical sightings or physical evidence, no one will know why they behave in this manner. The Giant Fossa (or Fosa: still pronounced: "Foo'-suh") is another cryptid on our list, and like the first two, it was thought to have gone extinct, simply because it has not been proven to still exist by Westerners. The natives of the region believe otherwise, and are afraid of the creature because of its power. It is reported to stalk larger prey than its smaller relative, the common fossa. It behaves similarly to a leopard, although it is actually a member of the family that includes civets and mongooses (or mongeese, as some people accept). Other cryptid reports include giant lemurs, long-tongued orchid moths, the mangarsahoc, the tratratratra (another tongue-twister), giant crocodiles, the Malagasy lion, the Roc, and a few others. However, reports of the mangarsahoc too closely resemble depictions of the kilopilopitsofy to be considered a separate cryptid. The assumption that it looks like a wild ass is simply speculation. The Roc and Malagasy lion may just be mistaken identities or conglomerations with reports of the fangalobolo and the giant fossa, respectively. Stories of giant crocodiles and giant lemurs persist to this day along with the aforementioned cryptids described in this article. These stories may be just that: stories; or they may be rooted in truth. Either way, Madagascar is not willing to let just anybody find out its secrets, and persists to remain a mystery for a long time in the future. Category:Cryptids Category:Cryptozoology Category:African Cryptids Category:Cryptids of Madagascar